Necessity of Educational evolution in Mechanical Engineering

The trend of evolution and takeover of new industries, as well as emerging new sciences and technologies, will bring deep and radical changes in industries and daily life of mankind. Responding to the today's and tomorrow's need of industries by Mechanical Engineers requires different tools and knowledge that are typically used today and parallel to the above mentioned changes, Mechanical Engineering Education needs to be changed. In this paper, a brief history of engineering education in general and mechanical engineering education in particular, will be discussed first and the trend of changes in this regard will be reviewed. The necessity of putting the emphasis on the applied problems and "engineering education" rather than "engineering sciences" is mentioned without undermining the importance of theoretical and basic subject-materials typically offered in the mechanical engineering curriculum. Paying more attention on research in mechanical engineering education in Iran is another matter which is recommended in this paper. Here, the necessary changes in the mechanical engineering curriculum are categorized in the four cases: 1) issues related to the learning environment, 2) issues related to the mechanics of the learning process, 3) issues related to the partnership with industry and other institutions and 4) issues related to the content of mechanical engineering education (especially the latter), due to the emerging novel technologies and the role of the mechanical engineers in these matters are given. Such new technologies are: micro/nano technology, biotechnology, information technology, and ecology/energy. Finally, a list of actions necessary to take in mechanical engineering education is listed.